[348] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: urgent [was: re: Nu Delta]
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Aimee L Smith)
Mon Apr 30 18:08:38 2001
Message-Id: <200104302208.SAA10097@nerd-xing.mit.edu>
To: "Jimmy_B,MajMoola,MechWarrior,etc._Chien-ta Wu" <jimmbswu@MIT.EDU>
cc: mit-talk@MIT.EDU, alsmith@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Mon, 30 Apr 2001 15:15:44 EDT."
<200104301915.PAA01184@MECHWARRIOR.MIT.EDU>
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Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2001 18:08:07 -0400
From: Aimee L Smith <alsmith@MIT.EDU>
QUESTION: was it free speech for the hecklers at ATO
to yell racist and sexist remarks to members of The Roots?
If so, why are you "defenders of the status quo" not backing
their right to free speech, those poor young men who
have been sanctioned for their free speech?
Is it b/c hate speech is *not* protected in the context of the
university? Is it b/c certain "speech" creates a hostile
atmosphere for certain people? I think it is.
The supreme court has deemed that "pornography" is not protected
speech, and particularly not allowed in the work environment.
> If you care at all about free speech, you should instead talk to Carol
> Orme-Johnson or COD about possible sexism issues. Everyone deserves due
> process, including criminals. If COD determines that it is the right thing to do, *THEY* will tear down the posters, not you.
I have taken it to several ombudsfolk and deans, to no avail. They
agree they are terrible and bad, but take no action. I say if you have
to break a rule to help enforce a bigger rule, you should... (there is
also much legal precedent for this, e.g. the Bangor Eight...)
>
> Also, Aimee, you have no one to blame the Nu Delta poster except the
> commercialization of sex. The commercialization of sex over the past 30 years
> allows Americans to use sex in their everyday lingo, and taught everyone that
> sex sells. Using the lure of sex, everything sells more.
WRONG. I blame those individuals who chose to exploit women in this
fashion to promote their pathetic little party. Were slave-owners
innocent because "Everyone did it in those days..." I don't think so.
We are influenced by many things, but after the age of 18, we take
responsibility for our own actions.
> Besides, Aimee, don't you realize? It is exactly this type of material (ND
> posters) that allow/caused the sexual empowerment of women. Everything good
> comes with a little bad. It's difficult to rid us of that.
And it is *so* good to learn feminist history from a man young enough
for me to have changed his diapers. Last I checked, women don't yet
*have* sexual empowerment, which is why the commodification of women's
bodies and the free-love atmosphere that gave men sexual access to
many women without taking responsibility for disease or pregnancy
was not revolutionary for women... rather it was more of the same
with a new twist on hype...
> Moreover, Aimee, if next time you advocate inappropriate activities, by-passing
> due process, etc., we will request that you be permanently banned from posting
> to mit-talk@mit.edu and other student activism mailing lists.
I should say the same for your advocating perpetuating a hostile
work environment by telling people to tolerate such posters. The
rules cut both ways on this one, not to mention the subtle? reference
to alcohol w/ BYOB written on them... and if you advocate silencing
me (and don't worry, I am shaken with fear now!) than you are
exactly as those Brown students whom you call crazy. Speech needs to
be protected when *you* like it, but otherwise not... very deep...
personally, I recognize the balance between protecting free speech and
protecting equal access...
>
> B, crackpot and defender of the status quo
Yes, we know, and thereby patriarchy, racism and a host of other
goodies.
Don't worry, I know you and the other phallus-wielders don't
like what I have to say. I know that this list is dominated
by *male* voices, I know that when someone says something flip,
they don't get asked to stop unless they are a woman... or in
the short time I have been on it. I am used to all this,
believe me. The sole reason naive boys like
you don't know anything about sexism, the history of sexism, and the
transformations of sexism with various cultural shifts is because
you can't stand to listen to anyone who tries to explain it.
Women are *silenced* when they try to explain what goes on.
And why would that be other than to enable men to keep
benefiting from the inequity? I can't guess...
So many cowards in this world, so so many cowards.
Mildly amused at how banal and pathetic some men are...
Aimee
